The WWF Nature Academy cycle ends with a final event were all ambassador schools present the results of their projects and the protected area they are an ambassador of. The final event is hosted by one of the participating protected area and the goal of the events is to share success, lessons learned and promote networking among the ambassador schools and PAs. An important element of the final event is the press conference for local and national media.

During the academic year the ambassador schools share their results on the WWF Nature Academy Facebook page (a closed group for project participants), on their school websites and Facebook groups and they communicate them to the local media together with the protected area.

After the final event each ambassador school becomes a mentor to a new school participating in the academy and hands them over the “mentoring box” with suggestions, motivational messages and handmade souvenirs. In this way ambassador schools of the same protected area start to cooperate and in time build a school network of the protected area.  

Very important for the end of the academy cycle – celebrate the success at a thematic biodivesity party! 

Once the environmental, economic and health benefits of restoration been nationally acknowledged, The Council of Ministers adopted the Strategy for Sustainable Use and Categorization of All Peatlands, in 2015. This policy prevents any future loss of peatlands, allowing peat extraction only where no biodiversity loss would be caused and requiring mandatory re-wetting after extraction or agricultural use. Ownership and management of peatland during their use/protection, during and after restoration, and the saving mechanism to set aside funding for restoration have been all clarified in national regulations.

With the co-funding from the Global Environment Facility, 22,397 ha of degraded peatlands were restored between 2009 and 2011. Restoration at these 10 sites helped stop annual emission of about 448,000 tons of CO2 from peatland fires and mineralization, and saving the country tens of millions of dollars in fire-fighting operations. Already one year after rehabilitation most sites showed re-emergence of typical wetland vegetation (primarily Sedge communities) and its domination over trees and shrubs (pictures attached). The density of water-birds increased by 12-16%. At the re-created wetlands scientists recorded the IUCN-listed Aquatic Warbler (VU), Greater spotted eagle (VU), Black-tailed godwit (NT), as well as other wetland species previously lost from these areas, such as Common snipe, Reed bunting, Lapwing, Sedge warbler, Great reed warbler. Restoration cost (from engineering design to having water level restored) has been around US$50/ha. Restoration mostly involved use of local materials and local labor. Since 2011, restoration of peatlands at other sites continued without external donor support.

A technical guidebook was developed on affordable approaches to peatland restoration. The key challenge was to bring together specialists from different fields (hydrology, biology, soil sciences, economy) to work together on developing a single most sustainable solution for each peatland; the process, therefore, involved a lot of learning and benefited from advice of German and British experts. The resulting know-how was approved as a Code of Best Practices, becoming a standard in peatland restoration in Belarus. The restoration approach relies on using local material and in a very few cases on more solid (concrete) constructions to block drainage ditches and thus stop/prevent water from running-off peatlands. The blocking constructions can be regulated if needed, allowing to adjust water level in the peatland as needed. An algorithm has been developed for identifying how many such constructions would need to be placed and where, depending on area size, elevation, and condition of the drainage ditches. (Further details on the technical aspects of the restoration approach can be found in the Guidebook itself). The re-wetting of temperate peatlands, as developed by a team of specialists led by Dr. Alexander Kozulin, can prevent emissions, restore hydrology, recreate habitat of water-birds and trigger re-start of peat accumulation.

According to Costa et al, “Brazil was the first country in the world to implement a National Policy for Agroecology and Organic Production”. It is therefore worthy of notice that the Policy has been widely implemented in the country, succeeding as a good example of a multi-sectoral public policy, despite the challenges it still faces. Furthermore, PNAPO has served as inspiration for Brazilian States (such as Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás, São Paulo and Amazonas), the Federal District and Municipalities to elaborate their own state and municipal policies, following the guidelines of the National Policy and adapting them to their own realities and necessities. Hence PNAPO is likely suitable to be transferred to other situations.

The National Policy (PNAPO) has been implemented in Brazil since 2012, aiming at fostering sustainable agricultural practices and healthy food consumption habits; empowering family farmers, traditional communities, women and youth; and promoting sustainable rural development through specific programs and financing for smallholder farming. It is a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder interdisciplinary policy on a federal level, whose initiatives have been implemented throughout the five Brazilian regions, with verifiable results.

Some programmes and initiatives currently included in the flagship of PNAPO already existed before its creation. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the policy and the creation of CNAPO, those programmes have been strategically articulated and integrated into PNAPO’s general objectives and working plan, guaranteeing more participative planning, implementation and monitoring processes.

One of the PNAPO’s main instruments is the National Plan for Agroecology and Organic Production (PLANAPO), which must always include at least the following elements: overview/diagnosis, strategies and goals, programmes, projects, actions, indicators, deadlines and a management structure (Article 5 of Federal Decree 7,794).